What I Actually Bought My Kids for Christmas

plus some thoughts on saving money and embracing less

I said I wasn’t going to put together a gift guide this year because they’re exhausting and too many of them exist. It’s overwhelming. You’re tired of reading them. I’m tired of reading them. This is not a gift guide. I’m not suggesting you buy these items as gifts. To borrow Kate’s tagline…

A Lot of You Have Asked

what I’m gifting my kids this year for Christmas so I’m answering that question in this newsletter. These are the things I actually bought my kids for Christmas. Months ago in fact.

A simple savings strategy

I put away a little bit of money when I can from each paycheck into a separate savings account and usually finish Christmas shopping in the early Fall. My husband and I collect things throughout the year that the kids have been interested in as we see things go on sale. Target will typically run sales on toys over the summer to make room for the latest and greatest before the holiday season. I also have a Target Debit card that I use to stack discounts. Don’t forget about Rakuten and other cash-back sites when shopping online. Unfortunately, shopping small isn’t always feasible. I think this year has been especially hard on everyone. Make sure to check your local thrift stores and second-hand kids’ stores for things like Our Generation accessories. Dollhouses and kid-sized furniture are easy to find as well.

Stocking Stuffers

Compared to other years, we don’t have as many gifts for the kids to unwrap. I picked up a lot of small toys, stickers, and a book for their stockings at a huge warehouse book sale over the summer. I’ll probably add some Kinder eggs and other chocolates to their stockings as well! I’ve previously posted stocking stuffer guides if you’d like to check out my ideas.

The “Big” Gifts

I haven’t decided what’s a gift from Mom and Dad and what may arrive wrapped by the Elves at the North Pole yet. We didn’t follow the something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read formula exactly this year but I think it’s a great guide and is just the right mix of gifts.

5 year old girl

• Lego Disney The Madrigal House from Encanto

• Play-Doh Play n Store Table

• Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad

• Osmo storage case

• Olaf Funko Pop

2 year old boy

• Yoto Mini+ Starter Bundle

• Yoto Mini Storage Case

• Magnatiles Road Construction Kit

• Magnatiles Storage Bin

• Firefighter Elmo

Filling in the gaps

My daughter is starting to read and write at school and has been begging for a journal. I might seek out a cute one with a lock and maybe a fuzzy pen to go along with it. I remember loving journals in elementary school so I know it will be a hit. Maybe even more so than her other gifts. It’s also time for us to replace tennis shoes. I swear kids wear them out in just a few months time!

Our favorite gifts over the years

A play kitchen is a must-have. We’ve had the IKEA version for years along with a decent selection of plush food. A functioning sink can pair nicely with it or if you’re a DIY Diva, convert it. My kids are also obsessed with this food truck my older sister gifted them. We own no fewer than 10 doctor kits. This music set gets played with every single day, as does our baby grand piano. Note: You might want to proceed with caution when gifting musical toys to others because of the noise. If you’re a music-loving family, this album is a favorite. Legos/Duplo, Magna-tiles, and Little People are great for open-ended play. The rest can go!

Dealing with consumerism

We have too much stuff. Period. I’m frequently overwhelmed by visual clutter in our home and it greatly affects my ability to be an emotionally regulated and available mother. We’ve been decluttering as we decorate for the holidays but more purging and organization will continue into the new year. As my kids settle into new playtime routines with their new gifts, we’ll sneakily donate some of the items they no longer play with or have mostly aged out of and pass those along to another family to love.

Other Gift-Giving Traditions

The night before Christmas we typically serve appetizers and exchange family pajamas to open. It’s a great time to make a mug of hot cocoa, watch a Christmas movie together, set out cookies and milk for Santa, write him a nice letter, and plate some carrots for the reindeer. On Christmas morning I’ll pop a breakfast casserole in the oven and we leisurely open our stockings while watching another festive movie on TV or even spin Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas. I like giving the kids the opportunity to play with their small stocking gifts and maybe even have some time to play outdoors before we open the “big gifts”. Year after year they continue to surprise me by how patient they are about the routine. Try it out if you haven’t. It makes the day run more smoothly when there’s not a huge rush to open all the gifts first.

Whew! That was more than I originally intended to share in one newsletter but hopefully, you got some good tips for how to have a small but successful gift-giving holiday.

Let’s start a conversation in the comments to help each other shop mindfully. Reply with your child’s age (if you feel comfortable) and what “big gift” is on their wish list this year.